Wednesday 15 June 2016

More Food

It is quite a while since we have had a good food post but we are well served near the end of War Of The Gods. Mistakenly believing that his friend and senior ally, Hadding, has been assassinated, Hunding gives a grave-ale where his household and guests consume:

a large tub of ale
Southland wine
mead

heaps of -
beef
pork
mutton
deer
duck
goose
grouse
swan
salmon
leeks stewed with chicken
wheaten bread
butter
cheese
honey
"...more and more and more." (p. 287)

The high seat is left empty for King Hadding. His ghost does not enter but the living man might have. That would have been an excellent mock resurrection scene.

We were pleased to see his daughter's plot against him thwarted - although we already knew that Hadding would die only by his own hand. The would-be assassin had lived an entire life of deprivation and hate. No way to live - and a consequence of his grandfather's irresponsibility. Karma: actions have consequences.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

It's interesting to note how funerary dinners or receptions in memory of a deceased person seems to be so UNIVERSAL a human custom. I have experienced that in my own family and for those of other persons.

Sean